Joseph Smith
1805-1844
Time of movement- 1820-1844 Founding:
In 1820 Joseph Smith had his first vision which told him of golden tablets bruied in the woods with a breast plate and spectacles to read the tablets. Four years later Smith began translating the tablets out of a hat and dictating them to his wife. Martin Harris began to assist Smith in the translation and found the characters to be "reformed Egyptian." Harris took the manuscript to a friend and lost it and at the same time Smith said the angel took away the tablets and the ability to read them. In 1828 Smith said the tablets were restored and he began to translate them again.
Goals and Critisism:
Joseph Smith was the founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints and mormonism. Smith's goal was to find the New Jerusalem in America and begin the Millenial kingdom that would lead to covering all of North and South America. He eventually foresaw that the whole world would at one time be run in a theological society. He fled from multiple states for his rejection of traditional American churches, religious violence, and bank fraud from investing heavily in notes for the church. Smith wanted to improve America by having everyone under one theocratic governement. Smith converted over 20,000 people into the Church of Latter Day Saints and many followed him from Ohio to Missouri than to Illinois. HIs main method of converting was by saying that he was the prophet of the religion which was effective at the time because it was during the Second Great Awakening. However his goals overall were not attainable in the time period because no one nation would be able to control all of North and South America and especially the whole world under one rule.
State Travels:
In Ohio Smith started the church and they lived untill Smith said that the new Zion was in Jackson County Missouri. Many mormons including Smith were run out of Ohio on charges of bank fraud after an investment in bank notes in a bank that failed. In Missouri there were many antimormons who started violence with the mormons to which the mormons retaliated as well. After the "Mormon War" the mormons were defeated and were forced to leave the state. Smith was also court martialed for treason, but got out of execution and left the state. Illinois accepted the Mormons because they felt that they were mistreated in Missouri. Smith set up a church and began developing the religion further, like by saying the idea of palygomy. This was were Smith lived the rest of his life untill he died in 1844.
Government Support Possible:
The federal government would be able to provide money to establish churches, stope harrasment from people and the states that continually kicked them ot and prosecuted them. The government could also support their cause by passing laws that support ideas of the mormons that may be illeagal at the time, like palygomy.
Future Impact:
The development of the Church of Latter Day Saints was established which is now a very common religion in the world with over 14 million mormons in the world.
References:
Mother Ann Lee was another member of the Second Great Awakening Movement and like Smith she had new radical ideas that went against the grain of the current beliefs on how families and all other life should be lived out. Lyman Beecher also was against the common religions especially Catholics which set him apart from other religions and showed in his beliefs in how the government should be run. All of these reformers are a part of the Second Great Awakening and were against the common religions and were for a new and different kind of religion to be practiced in America.
1805-1844
Time of movement- 1820-1844
Founding:
In 1820 Joseph Smith had his first vision which told him of golden tablets bruied in the woods with a breast plate and spectacles to read the tablets. Four years later Smith began translating the tablets out of a hat and dictating them to his wife. Martin Harris began to assist Smith in the translation and found the characters to be "reformed Egyptian." Harris took the manuscript to a friend and lost it and at the same time Smith said the angel took away the tablets and the ability to read them. In 1828 Smith said the tablets were restored and he began to translate them again.
Goals and Critisism:
Joseph Smith was the founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints and mormonism. Smith's goal was to find the New Jerusalem in America and begin the Millenial kingdom that would lead to covering all of North and South America. He eventually foresaw that the whole world would at one time be run in a theological society. He fled from multiple states for his rejection of traditional American churches, religious violence, and bank fraud from investing heavily in notes for the church. Smith wanted to improve America by having everyone under one theocratic governement. Smith converted over 20,000 people into the Church of Latter Day Saints and many followed him from Ohio to Missouri than to Illinois. HIs main method of converting was by saying that he was the prophet of the religion which was effective at the time because it was during the Second Great Awakening. However his goals overall were not attainable in the time period because no one nation would be able to control all of North and South America and especially the whole world under one rule.
State Travels:
In Ohio Smith started the church and they lived untill Smith said that the new Zion was in Jackson County Missouri. Many mormons including Smith were run out of Ohio on charges of bank fraud after an investment in bank notes in a bank that failed. In Missouri there were many antimormons who started violence with the mormons to which the mormons retaliated as well. After the "Mormon War" the mormons were defeated and were forced to leave the state. Smith was also court martialed for treason, but got out of execution and left the state. Illinois accepted the Mormons because they felt that they were mistreated in Missouri. Smith set up a church and began developing the religion further, like by saying the idea of palygomy. This was were Smith lived the rest of his life untill he died in 1844.
Government Support Possible:
The federal government would be able to provide money to establish churches, stope harrasment from people and the states that continually kicked them ot and prosecuted them. The government could also support their cause by passing laws that support ideas of the mormons that may be illeagal at the time, like palygomy.
Future Impact:
The development of the Church of Latter Day Saints was established which is now a very common religion in the world with over 14 million mormons in the world.
References:
Mother Ann Lee was another member of the Second Great Awakening Movement and like Smith she had new radical ideas that went against the grain of the current beliefs on how families and all other life should be lived out. Lyman Beecher also was against the common religions especially Catholics which set him apart from other religions and showed in his beliefs in how the government should be run. All of these reformers are a part of the Second Great Awakening and were against the common religions and were for a new and different kind of religion to be practiced in America.
Bibliography:
"All About Mormons." Number of Mormons. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.allaboutmormons.com/number_of_mormons.php>.
"Joseph Smith." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Jan. 2012. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith>.